News and views on human rights
In This Issue: No. 14: August 2006 
•   Middle East conflict
•   Living wage victory
•   Darfur scorecards
•   UUSC-Lakota camp
Middle East conflict
The deadly conflict in the Middle East has taken a terrible toll on the civilian populations of southern Lebanon, Palestine, and northern Israel. UUSC is closely monitoring the humanitarian crisis in southern Lebanon and is urging a comprehensive solution to the Middle East conflict that is based on respect for the human rights of all of the region’s citizens.

Read the full statement from UUSC.

Darfur scorecards
For the past two years, Congress has said genocide in Darfur must stop, and yet the violence continues. Now you can find out whether your members of Congress have taken every possible step to live up to that promise, and let them know if they’ve measured up or if they received a failing grade. Visit Darfur Scores to learn how your senators and representatives performed and what you can do to make sure Congress keeps up the pressure for an end to the genocide in the Darfur region of Sudan.

Sign up to join UUSC’s Save Darfur e-mail network of activists.

UUSC-Lakota camp
In collaboration with the Lakota community on the Rosebud Reservation in South Dakota, teenagers from around the country joined with Native American youths in a JustWorks camp to examine social justice issues. The experiential learning camp focused on how the media perpetuates stereotypes based on race, class, and gender. Participants learned the basics of videography and produced a short documentary film at the end of the week.

UUSC Hotwire has a firsthand account of the Lakota camp by a teenage participant.

Living wage victory
Despite massive opposition from corporate, political, and media leaders, the Chicago City Council responded to an enormous grassroots campaign by approving a living wage ordinance for large retailers in the city. A faith-labor-community coalition demonstrated the powerful impact of local and state campaigns on the nationwide movement for better wages and rights for working families.

Johanna Chao Rittenburg writes about the victory in the Chicago living wage campaign.

Your privacy is protected. UUSC does not lend or share its mailing lists, including e-mail addresses. Rest assured that when you provide this information, it stays with us. In cases where colleague organizations or groups ask us to provide them with direct access to you, we will ask you first and/or allow you the opportunity to link to this information if you so desire.

Support human rights now!  Donate or become a member of UUSC.